Railway torpedo-placer.



No. 867,783. PATENTED 001a, 1907. w.- q. BEGKWITH. RAILWAY TORPEDOPLACER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 12 190'! WALTER O. BEOKWITH, OF FOSTORIA, OHIO.

RAILWAY TORPEDO-PLAGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1907.

Application filed March 12, 1907. Serial No- 361,949.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, WALTER C. BECKWITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fostoria, in the county of Seneca and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Torpedo-Placers,of which the following is a specification, reference being had thereinto the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to improvements in railway torpedo placers.

The object of my invention is to provide a torpedo placer of thecharacter described, which is adapted to hold any spring clip torpedo,and so arranged and constructed that the torpedo can be readily placedupon the rail from the rear end of a moving train.

Another object of my invention is to provide a placer of this character,carrying means for holding two torpedoes, and in which a simple, cheapand effective device is produced to accomplish the desired results.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of myimproved placer showing it in the act of placing a torpedo on the rail.Fig. 2, is a top plan view of the placer showing the torpedo placedthereon. Fig. 3, is a vertical sectional view of a rail showing thetorpedo in position on the rail in the act of being released from theholder.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 represents the handle of my improvedplacer which is preferably made of wood, and of an elongated formsayabout five feet in length-which would be of a sufficient length to allowthe torpedo to be placed upon the rail of the track from the rear end ofa moving train. Secured upon both ends of the said handle are the forks2 and 3 which extend in opposite directions, as shown in Fig. 1. Theshanks 4 are secured within the handle by means of a ferrule 5, asshown, although the said fork could be provided with a socket with thehandle fitting therein and secured by any means. The two members 6 and 7of the forks are of an elongated form, and are spaced apart a distanceslightly greater than the tread of the ordinary rail, so that it willstraddle the rail, as will be hereinafter more fully described. The endsof said members 6 and 7 of the forks .are provided with enlarged broadfiat laterally extending portions 8 and 9 which extend from the fork atabout an angle of 45 degrees, and said broad flat portions, as shown,are of a slightly curved form, having convexed outer faces 10 andconcaved inner faces 11. The said portions 8 and 9, as shown, are of anelongated form, and slightly twisted, in respect to the fork members 6and '7, so as to throw the upper end outward away from the rail, and toconform more perfectly with the spring clip 12. of the torpedo 13. Thistwisting of the members 8 and 9, as will be seen, holds the upper end,as indicated at 14, of the spring clip away from the rail, and wheninserting or placing the torpedo upon the track the torpedo or thatportion of the clip immediately below the torpedo, engagesthe rail, andthe continued downward movement of the fork causes the members 8 and 9to move downward below the spring clip and allows the same to clamp uponthe rail.

The members 8 and 9 being made of an elongated form allows the torpedoto be more readily placed thereon, and also prevents the spring arms ofthe torpedo from being accidentally disengaged therefrom by any slightengagement of the torpedo with the rail or other obstructions, or anyslight twisting thereof.

I have shown the handle provided at each end with a fork which allowstwo torpedoes to be placed upon the placer, and by turning the handleend for end each torpedo is placed upon the rail, this being aconvenience when it is desired to place two torpedoes upon the track, orin case one torpedo did not properly clamp upon the rail.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is:

l. A torpedo placer, comprising a member having two broad portionsspaced a distance apart to straddle the rail and upon which the springclip of the torpedo is held in its expanded position whereby thedownward movement of the member causes the rail to engage the torpedoand place the same upon the rail.

2. A torpedo placer, comprising a forked member having broad portionsadapted to straddle the rail and upon which the spring clip of thetorpedo is held in its expanded position, whereby the downward movementof the member causes the rail to engage the torpedo and place it uponthe rail.

3. A torpedo placer comprising a member having two broad curved portionsadapted to straddle the rail and upon which the spring clip of thetorpedo is held in its expanded position, whereby the downward movementof the member causes the rail to engage the torpedo and place it uponthe rail.

4. A torpedo placer, comprising a member having elongated flat portionsadapted to straddle the rail, and said flat portions having convexedouter faces upon which the clip of the torpedo is held in its expandedposition.

5. A torpedo placer, comprising an elongated handle, and a forked membercarried by each end of the handle and having broad curved portionsadapted to hold the clip of the torpedo in its expanded position to beplaced upon the rail.

6. A torpedo placer, comprising an elongated handle, and a forked membercarried by each end. of the handle and having a curved portion extendingat an angle to the forks, and adapted to hold the clip of the torpedo inits expanded position to be placed upon the rail.

7. A torpedo placer, comprising a forked member adapted to straddle therail and having a broad curved end extending at an angle thereto, andadapted to hold the torpedo by the clip and protect the same againstengage ment with the rail.

8. A torpedo placer, comprising a handle, a forked member carriedthereby and parallel therewith, and the lower ends of said forked memberturned at an angle and having broad curved outer faces over which theclip of the torpedo is held in its expanded position.

9. A torpedo placer, comprising a handle, a forked member carriedthereby and parallel therewith, and the lower ends of said forkedmembers turned at an angle and having a broad vertically-arrangedportion over which the clip of the torpedo is held in its expandedposition.

10. A torpedo placer, comprising a handle, a forked member carriedthereby and parallel therewith, and the lower ends of said forkedmembers turned at an angle and having a broad portion twisted at anangle to the forked member, and over which the clip of the torpedo isheld in its expanded position.

11. A torpedo placer, comprising a handle, a forked member carriedthereby and parallel therewith, and the lower ends of said forked memberturned at an angle and having a broad portion twisted with their lowerends closer together and having convexed outer faces over which the clipof the torpedo is held in its expanded position.

12. A torpedo placer, comprising a handle, a forked member carriedthereby and parallel therewith, and the lower ends of said forkedmembers turned at an angle and having a broad curved portion twisted at;an angle and over which the clip of the torpedo is held in its expandedposition.

13. A torpedo placer, comprising a handle having a forked member carriedthereby and parallel therewith, and the lower ends of said forked memberturned at: an angle and terminating in broad portions having their lowerends closer together than their upper ends, and having coneaved innerfaces and eonvexed onter faces over which the clip of the torpedo isheld in its expanded position, whereby the downward movement of themember over the rail causes the same to engage the torpedo and placesthe same upon the rail.

In testimony whereof I atIiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WALTER t1, IlIGCIUVl'llI. Witnesses Emmi: C. InnIL, GLENN E. Metfnnnn.

